Business in Gore

The Gore Township offers special character and undoubted business opportunities.

Gore’s economy is based on the rural sector, with the region a major contributor to the industry which can lay claim to being one of the biggest contributors to the country’s gross domestic product. With only approximately three percent of the country’s population, Southland contributes almost 20 percent of New Zealand’s GDP and Gore is one of the districts punching well above its weight.

Farming, rural services, forestry and meat, together with MDF and tourism are the district’s major industries. But it’s not just main-stream businesses which succeed, many other innovative and unique businesses flourish. Floriculture and vintage aircraft restoration are two shining examples.

But agriculture remains the mainstay and quite probably always will. There are many factors for this. Fertile and accessible land together with consistent rainfall provides the ideal environment for intensive farm operations. And although we curse the southern climate, its temperate nature means we remain immune to a number of plant diseases and pests.

The Gore district is a fertile region, which has traditionally relied upon agriculture, and specifically sheep farming, for its prosperity. During recent years there has been a gradual but steady trend towards diversification and innovation. As the focus of primary production has altered, so too have the industries, which process Southland’s agricultural products. One only has to view the rapid expansion at Fonterra’s Edendale site for an example.

The region is the third largest coal producer in the country, with significant deposits of lignite in Eastern Southland. The Gore district is also home to the Alliance meat processing plant in Mataura. In economic terms, this is one of the most important industries in the region. And many believe the tourism sector may provide the goose which lays Gore’s golden egg.